Concerns that Highland Council is failing to engage with local people about plans for a new Nairn Academy have been raised by community councillors
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CONCERNS that Highland Council is failing to engage with local people about plans for a new Nairn Academy have been raised by community councillors.
Members of Nairn West and Suburban Community Council (NWSCC) were disappointed by the non-attendance of any of Nairn’s four Highland Council members at their meeting on October 25.
The community council was expecting an update on progress regarding plans for the new academy from former teacher and the local authority’s area chairman Tom Heggie but he was not present and submitted a report advising that the matter was in hand and being addressed by officials.
Treasurer Bill Young said the response they receive every time they ask questions is: “We’re looking at it.”
Community councillor Brian Stewart said it was important for the community to have proper engagement.
“We need to be fully informed and have transparency and we are not seeing any of that. Why are we always being fobbed off with meaningless words? We are not at the table and we are not even in the room. We can talk all we like but we are talking among ourselves.”
Members of Nairn River Community Council were in attendance. Loreine Thomson, of Nairn River, said: “It seems we are getting these updates and the essence of consultation is not being adopted. By the time it comes to us, the decisions will have been made.”
The proposal is to build the new academy on the playing fields of the existing school, and Mrs Thomson asked: “Is this the right location? We need a swimming pool. We need a library. We need a new primary school.
“There are a whole range of issues and it seems we are going to be coming to the table too late.”
Ally Macdonald, of NWSCC, agreed: “I asked about the suitability of the site and his [Councillor Heggie’s] response was ‘it’s because we already own the land’.
“If they want to build new houses why don’t they build houses on the school site and find somewhere else for a new academy?”
Later, Cllr Heggie told the Courier nobody was being “fobbed off”.
“I submitted my apologies for my non-attendance along with a full written update regarding the new build,” he said. “There is an agreed procedure which is followed Highland-wide. If any community council wishes to make any positive contribution to the development of the new Nairn Academy, this would be much appreciated.”
He added there had been support from the school’s parent council, and went on: “Consultations were held with staff, pupils, parent council and other stakeholders to establish conceptual plans around the curricular and existing social and curricular needs.
“No community council has seen fit to suggest any input over the past decade regarding developing a new school in Nairn – and no current suggestions have been made to my knowledge and I reiterate that positive input, in line with current educational and community thinking for the development of a new school in a community, would be welcome.”
